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Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers dropped Game 4 of their first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks 97-92 at home on Sunday. However, according to the reigning MVP, the contest didn't feel like a home game due to the overwhelming number of Knicks fans in attendance.
New York's fanbase flooded the Wells Fargo Center, witnessing a historic performance from Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson. The first-time All-Star tallied a franchise playoff-record 47 points and 10 assists, shooting 52.9% as he willed his team to victory.
Meanwhile, after his playoff career-high 50-point outing on 68.4% shooting in Philly's Game 3 victory, Embiid's offensive play dropped off considerably.
The seven-time All-Star still recorded a team-best 27 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. However, he shot just 36.8%, including going 0-for-5 in the fourth quarter as the Sixers struggled to generate offense down the stretch.
After the contest, Knicks fans celebrated in Philly, with Joel Embiid lamenting his team's lack of fan support. He noted that he hasn't seen an opponent's fanbase take over the Sixers' home court like that since he was drafted in 2014.
"Disappointing," Embiid said. "I love our fans. I think it’s unfortunate. I’m not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously, you’ve got a lot of Knicks fans and they’re down the road, but I’ve never seen it. I’ve been here 10 years.
"It kind of pi**es me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town. They’ve always shown up, and I don’t think that should happen. It’s not OK."
After their disappointing Game 4 home performance, the Sixers trail the Knicks 3-1, facing elimination heading back to New York for Tuesday's Game 5 showdown. It remains to be seen if they can extend the series and give their fans a redemption opportunity in a potential Game 6 in Philly.
Watch: 'F**k Embiid' chants break out in Philadelphia following Joel Embiid's Game 4 flop vs Knicks
Joel Embiid cites Sixers' rebounding struggles as key reason for Game 4 loss to Knicks
In addition to taking exception with Knicks fans invading Wells Fargo Center, Joel Embiid highlighted his team's Game 4 rebounding woes.
The Sixers were outrebounded 52-42 and 15-9 on the offensive glass, allowing New York to grab seven fourth-quarter offensive rebounds. That extended the Knicks' fourth-quarter offensive rebounding advantage to 22-6 for the series.
"We had a lot of bad bounces. You look at the game, every single shot it just felt like it kept falling in their hands," Embiid said. "Sometimes you can do the best job possible to try to box out, but if the ball doesn’t bounce your way, there’s nothing you can do about it."
Nonetheless, the superstar big man remains optimistic that Philly can overcome its daunting 3-1 deficit.
"One at a time," Embiid said. "We know we're good enough. Tonight, we didn’t make shots. So we’ve just got to keep trusting ourselves."
The Sixers will likely need to avoid any more major shooting and rebounding shortcomings to avoid an early playoff exit. They also must win their first road playoff game after dropping Games 1 and 2 in New York.
